In the November 2013 issue of The Artist’s Magazine, Sadie Valeri teaches you how to draw a value sphere from start to finish by using a controlled graphite shading technique to render the tonal value variations caused by a light shining on a three-dimensional object.For Study of Female Hand Cast (cropped image; graphite, 8×10), I used my controlled pencil shading technique to model the form of knuckles, fingers, and hand (all incorporating spherical shapes), and to capture the way light behaves on a complex, three-dimensional form.
1. Block In the Contour
The first step in learning to draw a sphere is to draw a circle. Lightly sketch a square, and then slice off the corners to make a sketchy octagon. Next, indicate a direct light source that’s angled 45 degrees slightly toward the sphere. Draw the terminator. The distinct, conceptual line between the two halves marks the ending of the light, so we call the line the terminator and draw it perpendicular to the light source. Sketch the cast shadow.
2. Refine the Contour
,h2>Smooth out the circle contour, continuing to slice off corners of the evolving polygon shape in progressive steps—carefully and methodically proceeding until a smooth circular form emerges. Pencil in the two “poles” of the terminator and sketch an ellipse to represent the terminator between these two poles.
3. Fill in the Shadows
Using the softer H pencil, fill in the form shadow (the shadow side of the sphere) and the cast shadow with one even, medium tone.
4. Shade In the Sphere (Turn the Form)
Use shading to make the sphere appear round. Making an object look three-dimensional is called turning the form.
5. Refine Shading
Finesse your modeling on the sphere. Layer H and 2H pencil shadings one over the other. Refine the cast shadow. The place where the sphere sits on the ground and touches the cast shadow should be very dark since no direct light can reach there. Develop the reflected light as you refine the shading. Keep the area of reflected light subtle; you may find you even need to darken it.
6. Do the Final Shading
Shade in the background and surface. If your goal is a completed drawing, filling in an even tone for the background and a lighter tone for the ground the sphere rests on will result in a nice, finished look. Refine all values, continuing to adjust them across the entire drawing, layering H and 2H pencils as necessary. When your drawing is successful, your sphere will look as though it could roll right off the page, or as though you could pick it up. That’s when you know you’ve captured the illusion of three-dimensional form.
11 Must Have Watercolor Supplies for Beginners by Matt Fussell Perhaps you’re an experienced watercolor artist, or maybe you’re just starting out. Either way, there are several supplies that I feel are essential. You may not use them all in every painting that you create, but if you’re looking to stock up, here’s what I suggest having in your tool box… 1. Watercolor Paints Well there’s no doubt that you’ll need watercolor paint. But what brand and what type you should use really becomes a personal choice. Let’s look at your options… First, a note on low quality brands of paint. There are plenty of low quality brands of watercolor. Watercolor can be made very cheaply and for the lower quality brands, the price reflects this. You’ll see the price that you pay reflected in the quality of your painting as well. Using low quality paints will just lead to frustration, so my suggestion is stay away from the cheaper brands. Watercolor is produced in two main forms: Tub...
How To Get the Perfect Size Painting For Your Wall CAROLINE MCDONALD 7 COMMENTS It all started with a comment a customer made on our oversized art, Storm Over the Marsh (above). The customer expressed how much she loved the print, only she wished it came in a smaller size. “That was our aha moment,” says our wall decor buyer, Karen. “We have all this great art, typically offered in a single size, and the fact is people’s homes and walls are not one size only.” Thanks to that one customer comment, we’re excited to introduce new sizes for 30 of our top-selling prints and new art. Most of the selected art is now available in three sizes — what we consider medium, large and extra large — but actual sizes vary according to the proportion of the individual piece. “Now’s the time to check back and see if an old favorite is in the size you need,” Karen urges. “We also have some fantastic new art we’re really excited about, too.” This is wonderful news,...
Art Material Glossary Facts in books, information in glossaries, the ability to use them in our heads! If you are new to the arts you may have problems to decipher certain art material terms used in the arts field. Or you wonder what brand to get. To help you along, I added this little glossary as a guideline to make it easier to find the right materials when starting to draw or paint. Save Drawing Materials GRAPHITE PENCILS There are varied types of graphite pencils. When you buy a set, make sure that you get one with a 4h and 2h otherwise buy them single. All brands are really fine. I personally use the Faber Castell graphite and Staedler pencils. Staedler is cheaper and a little lighter than the Faber Castell. Faber Castell are the only pencils with an added inner core strength so that the pencils don't break inside when they fall. SKETCHPAD The paper we draw on is of importance. In my time as commercial illustrator I tried man...
The first step in learning to draw a sphere is to draw a circle. Lightly sketch a square, and then slice off the corners to make a sketchy octagon. Next, indicate a direct light source that’s angled 45 degrees slightly toward the sphere. Draw the terminator. The distinct, conceptual line between the two halves marks the ending of the light, so we call the line the terminator and draw it perpendicular to the light source. Sketch the cast shadow.
Smooth out the circle contour, continuing to slice off corners of the evolving polygon shape in progressive steps—carefully and methodically proceeding until a smooth circular form emerges. Pencil in the two “poles” of the terminator and sketch an ellipse to represent the terminator between these two poles.
Use shading to make the sphere appear round. Making an object look three-dimensional is called turning the form. 
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